How much do a criminal defense lawyer earns?
All depends. Private practice or Public Defenders office? Most private practice defense lawyers don’t make a lot of money – crimes tend not to be committed by the wealthier segment of society – although a few make a lot of money. Public Defenders salaries also vary widely. In my county an assistant PD’s salary is set by law at 115% of the salary paid to an assistant DA with the same qualifications and seniority. The range is from $48k right out of law school to a cap of $168k. (PD’s salaries are higher than DA’s because they have a larger case load.
